National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment) Act

The NESREA Act establishes the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency responsible for enforcing Nigeria’s environmental laws and regulations. The Agency sets and enforces environmental quality standards, regulates pollution, and ensures compliance with environmental requirements across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Legal area: Law relating to environmental protection, conservation, and remediation.

Year enacted: 2007

Full text: https://lawsofnigeria.placng.org/laws/national-environmental-standards-regulations-act.html

Key Provisions

  • Section 2: Establishment of NESREA
  • Section 3: Functions including enforcement of environmental standards
  • Section 7: Power to set and review environmental quality standards
  • Section 12: Powers of inspection, sampling, and enforcement
  • Section 20: Environmental impact assessment enforcement
  • Section 34: Penalties for environmental violations

Significance

NESREA replaced the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and provides Nigeria with a dedicated environmental enforcement body. The Agency enforces compliance with national environmental standards and international environmental conventions to which Nigeria is a party.